M5 Closures Spark Calls for National Review as Disruption Reaches ‘Breaking Point’

National Highways admits 2026 has been a difficult year for the M5 as MPs, businesses and motorists demand action over repeated closures that have brought one of the South West's busiest transport corridors to a standstill.

Growing frustration over repeated closures of the M5 has prompted renewed calls for a national review into how major motorway incidents are managed, with National Highways acknowledging that the route has endured an exceptionally challenging year.

The motorway, which provides the principal north-south route through the South West, has experienced numerous prolonged closures during 2026 following serious collisions and welfare-related incidents, creating widespread congestion and forcing thousands of vehicles onto local roads.

The disruption has led Sir Ashley Fox, MP for Bridgwater, to urge ministers to examine whether current traffic management procedures can be improved without compromising emergency response or public safety.

Pressure Mounts for New Approach

Sir Ashley has written to the Roads Minister calling for an urgent review of motorway closure procedures, arguing that lengthy shutdowns are having an increasing impact on communities, commuters and local businesses.

Among the measures he wants explored are:

• Greater use of contraflow systems

• Improved diversion routes

• Enhanced traffic management during major incidents

• A review of procedures surrounding incidents involving people in crisis

He said the motorway had become increasingly unreliable, with local roads frequently overwhelmed whenever traffic is diverted from the strategic network.

National Highways: 'It's Not Been a Good Year'

National Highways has accepted that the frequency of incidents has created significant disruption for communities across Somerset.

Ian Thompson, National Highways' Lead Officer for Stakeholder Relations, acknowledged the challenges facing the route.

"We fully appreciate the impact these incidents and closures have on local communities," he said.

He added that constructing an alternative motorway was not a realistic option, meaning the priority must instead be reducing the number of incidents occurring on the network.

Figures Highlight Scale of the Challenge

National Highways data shows Somerset accounts for just 12.9% of the South West's motorway network but experiences 15.7% of incidents resulting in motorway closures.

The figures also reveal a disproportionate number of welfare-related incidents, with almost three in every ten incidents involving people in crisis across the region occurring on the Somerset section of the M5.

Those incidents often require lengthy emergency service responses while safeguarding vulnerable individuals and ensuring public safety.

Motorists Count the Cost

For regular users, repeated closures are becoming increasingly disruptive.

Among those affected is Caroline Thorne, who travels weekly from Glastonbury to Bristol for specialist medical treatment.

Journeys that would normally take less than an hour have, on occasions, stretched to several hours because of motorway closures.

Living with fibromyalgia and endometriosis, she said prolonged periods trapped in traffic can aggravate her medical conditions and undermine the benefits of her treatment.

She recalled one incident earlier this year when she remained stranded on the motorway for around eight hours, unable to leave her vehicle.

Police Defend Current Procedures

While calls for quicker reopenings continue, Avon and Somerset Police have stressed that serious incidents cannot simply be cleared more quickly without risking future prosecutions.

The force says collision investigations must follow strict forensic and legal procedures to preserve evidence and satisfy coronial requirements.

According to the force's forensic collision investigation lead, the average time spent investigating serious incidents this year has been just under five hours, with total closures often lasting longer because roads must first be secured before investigations begin.

Police also rejected suggestions that welfare-related incidents could be managed using a standard approach, describing such situations as highly complex and unpredictable, with protecting life remaining the overriding priority.

Balancing Safety and Mobility

The debate highlights the growing challenge of balancing public safety with the resilience of one of the UK's most important motorway corridors.

With no realistic prospect of additional motorway capacity, pressure is increasing on National Highways, emergency services and government to identify operational improvements that can reduce disruption while maintaining the rigorous safety and investigative standards required following major incidents.

As calls for reform gather pace, the M5 has become a focal point in the wider national conversation about how Britain's strategic road network responds to increasingly frequent and complex incidents.